Jefferson Sculptures

At the University of Virginia there are two bronze statues of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the founder of the University. The standing statue, by Moses Ezekiel, shows the Founder standing on the Liberty Bell with inscriptions and allegorical angels at the four main faces. The figures represent Liberty, Justice, Freedom of Religion and Independence. The other work by Karl Bitter shows Jefferson seated on a red granite base, set within a grove of bushes and small trees.

We have performed regular maintenance of the bronzes and cleaned the bases, over several years. As part of the maintenance program, the bronzes were washed of soiling, failed coatings and loose corrosion. Chemical spot patination was performed as needed to unify the bronze color and two-coats of hot-applied wax were applied to both statues to protect from corrosion. The stone bases were also mechanically and wet cleaned to remove soiling and candle wax.